Maintaining Focus

Jim Henry

10/20/2004

Coming off their most impressive win of the season, the fifth-ranked <b>Florida State Seminoles</b> will try to maintain their focus when they travel to Winston-Salem to face Wake Forest on Saturday. The game will pit the Seminoles' run defense against the Demon Deacons' rush offense. FSU features the nation's best run defense, allowing just 58 yards per game, while the Wake Forest ground game ranks 14th nationally, averaging 221.7 yards.

However, Willis plans to make sure the Seminoles don't overlook Wake Forest on Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C.

FSU has traveled too far since its opening-seasoning defeat at Miami to stumble at this point.

The Seminoles (5-1) are currently ranked fifth in the first Bowl Championship Series poll released earlier this week.

The champions from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference earn up six of the eight berths in the four BCS bowls -- the Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta. The other spots go to wild-card teams.

Finishing in the top six in the standings guarantees a BCS bowl bid.

"I don't think there is going to be a letdown," Willis said.

"We have been around this program for a couple of years and we know the situations where we have had letdowns the past couple of years. We all have a sense of urgency that this is a big year for us. We don't have time to have a letdown versus any opponent, especially an ACC opponent.

"Wake Forest is a great team and they do a lot of good things offensively and defensively. They are going to come out there with the mentality that they want to beat us on their field."

Wake Forest sits second in the ACC in rushing and total offense averaging 221.7 and 399.0 yards per game, respectively.

Chris Barclay has registered four rushing touchdowns and leads the Demon Deacons, fourth in the ACC, in rushing yards per game at 86.7. Micah Andrews has posted five rushing touchdowns.

"They give you the misdirection with pulling guards and tackles; it's an offense you see a little bit in Clemson," FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said.

"They are not as much a true power running team
like you see in Miami. But they've got a unique scheme where it keeps you off balance. They are going to throw in some actions, they are going to throw in misdirection stuff -- running game and passing game."

Wake Forest quarterback Cory Randolph has thrown only two interceptions in his last 178 pass attempts over his last 11 games.

Additionally, the Deacs lead the ACC in third down conversion percentage (51.6).

Looking for tough? More than half of the games in Jim Grobe's four years at Wake Forest (22 of 42) have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Deacons alos are second in the ACC in red zone defense (59.1).